The retired F/A-18s are sitting in a hangar at the Williamtown
The Royal Australian Air Force's fleet of Boeing "Classic" Hornets were retired in late 2021 after almost 40 years of service, which included bombing missions in the Middle East against Islamic State.
The Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet strike fighter is going out of production in 2025, after 26 years. The Super Hornet was designed as a bigger, beefier Hornet. Super Hornets in service today will be replaced by the F-35 and the Navy's upcoming sixth-generation fighter.
At this time, several Hornets had been retired from service after becoming due for major servicing periods. The Hornet was officially retired from RAAF service on 29 November 2021. A ceremony to mark the occasion took place that day at RAAF Base Williamtown. The fleet had been flown for almost 408,000 hours.
The Royal Australian Air Force says it will fly its 24 F/A-18F Super Hornets through to the mid-2030s rather than retiring them by 2027 as had been intended.
The retired F/A-18s are sitting in a hangar at the Williamtown RAAF base outside Newcastle. Washington's approval is needed because it owns the intellectual property on the jets that have been retired by the RAAF and which are being replaced by F-35s, of which Australia has ordered 72.
Air Force has 24 F/A-18F Super Hornets which, in conjunction with F-35A Lightning II's and EA-18G Growlers, ensure that Australia's air combat capability edge is maintained.
Overall, in a strict air-to-air dogfight, the F-16 would generally win. However, when you need something that can do it all, carry more ordinance, and be more flexible on what it's doing and where it is taking off from, the F-18 is going to be the aircraft of choice for most missions.
The C-17A Globemaster is a high-wing, four-engine heavy transport aircraft. It is fitted with a cargo bay ramp that allows it to airdrop cargo in-flight, and can operate from unsurfaced runways as short as 3500 feet. It can also be used to conduct aeromedical evacuation missions.
The Super Hornet first flew on 29 November 1995. Initial production on the F/A-18E/F began in 1995. Flight testing started in 1996 with the F/A-18E/F's first carrier landing in 1997. Low-rate production began in March 1997 with full production beginning in September 1997.
The F/A-18 Super Hornet Requires An Advanced Pilot
While Tom Cruise did really fly in Top Gun: Maverick with certain aircraft, confirming his exceptional pilot skills, the F/A-18 Super Hornets are not the kind of plane just anyone can jump into and take off.
The F11F's career lasted only four years because its performance was inferior to the Vought F-8 Crusader and the J65 engine proved unreliable. Also, the range and endurance of the Tiger was found to be inadequate.
F-35A Lightning II.
Located 30 kilometres north of Newcastle, RAAF Base Williamtown is Australia's premier fighter pilot training base and houses most of the F-35A Joint Strike Fighters.
MiG-29 scores high on energy maneuverability and capability to gain in a slow-speed close fight, say German pilots who have done combat training operating one against the other. While the F-16 has an advantage above 200 knots speed, the MiG-29 has incredible nose-pointing capability down to 100 knots.
Bottom line: the F16 has far superior avionics, radar and weapons which will kill the Mig29 before it knows its there.
How do the two aircraft compare? The F-14 is much faster and more powerful than the F/A-18, with a top speed of 2.34 Mach, while the Super Hornet reaches Mach 1.8.
The RAAF has taken delivery of four more F-35A Lighting IIs, taking its current fleet to 54. The fighter jets flew from Luke Air Force Base, Arizona and landed at RAAF Base Williamtown in NSW with the aid of a KC-30A refuelling aircraft.
“The F-22 Raptors have arrived in the Northern Territory as part of the EAC Program,” said Air Vice-Marshal (AVM) Darren Goldie, Air Commander Australia.
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the largest and most powerful air force in the world. It has a fleet of over 5,000 aircraft, including fighters, bombers, transports, and helicopters.
The F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet can also perform the Cobra, here is video of it, I'm adding them to the list.
While substantially larger than its predecessor, the F/A-18 Hornet, at roughly 7,000 pounds heavier, with a 50% higher range, the Super Hornet delivered with fewer parts and lower maintenance demands.
The Super Hornet carries 33 percent more internal fuel, increasing mission range by 41 percent and endurance by 50 percent over the earlier Hornet. The F/A-18 E/F acquisition program was an unparalleled success.